Insulating means for tanks



the interspaces of the double walls.

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

MEARL v. TRACY, or nomen, Iowa, AssreNon or ONE-HALF Y'ro minerrrcn KERN, or

RAPID CITY, SOUTH nAKoTA.

INSULATING MEANS FOR TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l Patenten Mai-.15, 1921.

Application filed January 16, 1920. Serial No. 351,978.

T0 all 107mm t may concern.'

Be 1t known that l, MEARL V. TRACY, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Rolfe, Pocahontas county,

of my improvement is to provide for a tankv which has a double wall and bottom with included air space, means embedded inthe ground below the tank for supplying a warmed circulation of air throughout said air space, and for extending this circulationV to the interior of the tank above the contents thereof; and said object l have accomplished and claimed, and which are illustrated inV the accompanying drawings, in which F igure 1 is a medial vertical longitudinal section of a hollow walled tank and its covering devices with the air circulating device, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is an upper plan view of said tank with its closure top removed, parts of the tank and of the intermediate cover being broken away, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of said devices, with parts broken away, taken on the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. Y

I have shown a water tank 1, having a removable arched closure 13 for its open top, and having an intermediate horizontal cover 17 supported removably on the upper edge of the tank.

The tank has a double wall and bottom,

the bottom preferably.constructed of a plurality of hollow vitrified tile 5 cemented in juxtaposition, supplying longitudinal hollows or air-passages communicating viltlh e walls are constructed of concrete shaped at 1 upon an interior hollow supporting mold 2, whose opposed inner faces are braced by interposed hollow blocks 3, whereby the hollow 4 of the walls may communicate with the hollows 6 of said tiles 5. The concrete facing 1 may be reinforced by intersticed material if desired, and as shown.

The arched closure top 13 is also formed of reinforced concrete and is supported removably upon the outer part-of the upper edge of the tank. This closure top 13 comprises like end parts spaced apart medially relative tothe tank, connected by a ridgev beam 16, and the spaces between said closure parts are closed by pairs of doors 111 swingmg on hinges 15. However', the form and Vconstruction of the closure top may be otherwise thanthat shown when desired..

The cover 17 which closes the top of the tank, is of lighter construction, and may be made from planks as shown, or otherwise, andhas apair of like doors 18 hinged at 19 to swing upwardly to uncover side openings in vsaid cover,to permit access to the contents of the tank, handles 20 being supplied on the doors.

The topparts of certainfof the hollow tiles 5 at the bottom of thetan'k are oriiiced to receive hollow Ybushings 8, Yand below these bushings and alined vertically therewith, the lower parts of the same tiles are supplied with larger openings to receive and fit sealingly the upper open ends of the tubular members or housings 9, in this instance vertically arranged and communicating sections of cylindrical hollow tiles, which' project downwardly into the underlying soil for a considerable depth. Y

The numeral 7 denotes open ended hollow members, or pipes, extending vertically through the interior of the tank from the upper part thereof but spaced from the intermediate cover 17, to. and through the bushings '8, and through the alined vertical underlying hollow tile 9, nearly to the lower end thereof, supported by hollow blocksY 10 in the latter.

A flexible check-valve 12 weather, is normally .considerably higher i than that of the atmosphere, my improved means for causing a circulation of air within the hollow bottom and walls of thetank, and also within the upper part of the interior of the tank, is such as to keep the air in these hollows at a higher temperature than the `outer atmosphere, whereby water in the tank is prevented from freezing. This result is due to the passage ot the colder air from said hollows, and from the interior of the tank into the soil-embedded housings 9, and the movement upwardly of warmer air from the latter into said hollows and tank. tablished, is unimpeded, and effective, by conduction of heat to the water in the tank to prevent freezing. The warmer air conducted to the interior of the tank under the cover 17, also aids in preventing freezing of the water.

It is to be understood that my invention herein is not confined in scope to the specific constructions shown, but that the principles ot the invention cover various changes in structures and the avenuesof aircirculation connected doors for saidopenings, a longitudinally pitched cover removably covering Vsaid tank and closure, said cover. having openings over said closure openings and having lnngedly connected doors for its open- The circulation of air thus es- 1 in its bottom and walls, a tubular ings, a tubular housing in communication open-ended tube extending from' the upper Y part of the interior of the tank spaced from said closure through the bottom of the tank into and nearly through sald housing,

spaced from the latter, at the sides and terminally. Y

in combnnttion, an open top tank, a

closure therefor, said tank having hollows housing projecting a distance downwardly from the bottom of the tank in communication with said hollows at its upper end, and a tubular member traversing the bottom oftheA tank with its upper end opening into the upper part of the interior of the tank below and sliiacedffrom said closure, the lower part of the tubular member extending into the said housing nearly to the lower end thereof and in spaced relation thereto to afford a communication between the upper part of the tank, the lower part or the tubular member,

and the hollows in the `bottom and walls ot' the tank.

Signed at llaterloo, Iowa, this 13th day Y ot'Dec. 1919. Y i l Y MEARL V. TRACY. 

